Connect With Hurricane Sandy Relief Through Facebook

Wondering how you can help those affected by Hurricane Sandy? Facebook can help. The American Red Cross has been using its Facebook page to post information about shelters, as well as to accept donations for the cause. The social network also reminded its users on the East Coast that posting status updates on Facebook from mobile devices is a quick and easy way to let loved ones know they are safe.

Wondering how you can help those affected by Hurricane Sandy? Facebook can help. The American Red Cross has been using its Facebook page to post information about shelters, as well as to accept donations for the cause. The social network also reminded its users on the East Coast that posting status updates on Facebook from mobile devices is a quick and easy way to let loved ones know they are safe.

The American Red Cross has been posting information about shelters for the storm. It has also posted a photo album showing shelter preparations (and pictures of early evacuees) that has been quite popular.

Posting on Facebook is a great way to let your loved ones know that you’re OK during and after a storm when landline phones aren’t operational and power lines are down. If you haven’t already downloaded the Facebook app for your smartphone and you’re on the East Coast, add that to your pre-hurricane to-do list. You can also access Facebook on your mobile device by visiting m.facebook.com!

The social network has also been tracking how word of the hurricane has spread. The terms “Hurricane Sandy” and “Frankenstorm” have been up more than 1 million percent, while “hurricane” has seen a 21,962 percent rise on Facebook. “Sandy” is up 6,578 percent, while “storm” has seen a mention increase of 2,999 percent.

Using the Facebook Talk meter, which measures the overall chatter around an event on a 10-point scale, the site found that mentions of Hurricane Sandy are dominating the World Series and both presidential candidates. Nationally, the hurricane received a 7.12 rating, while the World Series checked in at 6.71 throughout the country (but 7.87 in California). President Barack Obama is at 3.86, while Republican challenger Mitt Romney is at 3.5.

The amount of buzz around Hurricane Sandy is measuring the highest in the following states:

Delaware – 8.5

New Jersey – 8.12

Connecticut – 8.09

Virginia – 8.01

Maryland – 7.99

Washington, D.C. – 7.97

Pennsylvania – 7.75

Rhode Island – 7.73

New York – 7.72

New Hampshire – 7.69

Readers: Do you think Facebook can be used for good in times of distress?